New Zealand's open-access internet infrastructure company, Chorus, has announced its first significant fibre network expansion since the completion of the government-supported Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) programme in December 2022. The Chorus-funded project will bring state-of-the-art fibre internet to an additional 10,000 homes and businesses, spanning from Kerikeri in the North to Otatara in the South, encompassing 59 communities nationwide.
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Collaboration with Build Partner
The fibre build programme was launched on Tuesday with Chorus' build partner, Ventia, at an event in Waiau Pa, South Auckland. This phase of fibre expansion aims to ensure high-speed, reliable broadband is available to as much of Aotearoa as possible, Chorus said.
The company noted that between 2011 and 2022, the government-supported UFB programme saw fibre rolled out to 412 towns and cities. With uptake over 70 per cent, nearly 1.4 million homes and businesses are now connected to fibre. Chorus reported that in homes with fibre, the average monthly data usage for fibre customers on Chorus' network is around 600GB, having more than doubled in the last six years.
Bridging the Digital Divide
Chorus said, "Expanding our fibre network to these 59 communities demonstrates another significant leap forward in connecting Aotearoa to world-class fibre broadband and reducing the digital connectivity divide between urban and non-urban areas.
"We are acutely aware of rural New Zealanders' eagerness to access fibre broadband. We want to take fibre further, and we remain dedicated to working alongside the Government, policymakers, and the Commerce Commission to create an environment that allows for further investment beyond this initial phase," Chorus added.
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Future-Proof Connectivity
Chorus said its fibre build programme for the 10,000 premises has already commenced and is expected to be completed by mid-2025. This first phase of its fibre network expansion targets communities close to Chorus' existing fibre network, allowing for a more efficient and rapid rollout.
Chorus provides wholesale telecommunications services to over 90 phone and broadband retailers. In its official release, the company also highlighted its research result that fibre remains the preferred technology choice for New Zealanders in the long term.
